By Sarah Stone

Northern Sask. airport receives over $10M in funding

Nov 14, 2014 | 11:54 AM

The Stony Rapids Airport is set to receive more than $10 million in federal and provincial funding.

The announcement was made Thursday by Rob Clarke, MP for Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River, on behalf of the Transport Minister Lisa Ratt.

The Government of Canada is investing more than $7.4 million through Transport Canada’s Airports Capital Assistance Program for the rehabilitation of Runway 06-24, Taxiway A and airfield electrical systems.  It will also go towards runway drainage systems, which Clarke said will be especially helpful to prevent frost heaves—when water gets underneath the runway the ice will push the runway up.

According to Clarke, the airport is critical in northern Saskatchewan, “especially Stony Rapids with it having the hospital here as a centre hub for northern Saskatchewan.”

“It’s an essential lifeline for residences, business, trade and tourism we have locals travelling through the area  … and then driving 10 hours down to La Ronge this just helps one ensure this private runway is safe for future residents.”

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The funding will roll out over the next two years, with the funding hopefully coming in place very quickly, Clarke said. However, there are many steps before construction starts.

With the announcement made Clarke said now an engineering report will be done on the construction, then work will be tendered out.  He said he hopes to see construction start next summer.

The upgrades will help many travellers, including Clarke who utilizes the airport a few times a year.

“Just travelling through Stony Rapids and Black Lake people are very excited about the project.  They’re very excited, for one, that the Government of Canada is seeing infrastructure money being spent on critical infrastructure,” he said.

With the investment, Clarke said this could create local jobs.

“Well this … should be able to create jobs for the next two years as well to local residents in the area and hopefully that will be enough to provide adequate training and job skills where they can move on to different projects around the country,” he said.

In conjunction with the federal dollars, the province is investing $3 million to develop a new access road to the community of Stony Rapids and expand the existing apron at the airport.  The province said improvement to the road will alleviate safety concerns for passenger and commercial coming in and out of the community.

“This airport is the only year-round access to the communities of Stony Rapids and Black Lake,” said Saskatchewan Highways and Infrastructure Minister Nancy Heppner in a statement.  “This investment will improve the quality of life for residents and businesses in the north by improving access to goods and services.”

By expanding the existing apron the province also said this will reduce the waiting list for hangar space.

sstone@panow.com

On Twitter: @sarahstone84